Employment

Unpaid childcare

About this topic

Unpaid childcare records whether people aged 15 years and over spent time looking after a child without pay, including their own children and other people's children. It reflects the role of parents, grandparents, extended family, and community networks in caring for children.

This topic helps show how childcare is supported outside the paid care sector and can highlight the role of family-based care. It is best interpreted with household type, employment, and income, because unpaid childcare patterns are shaped by family structure, work arrangements, and access to formal childcare.

Interpretation notes

  • This records unpaid childcare in the previous two weeks for people aged 15 years and over, including care for a person's own children and other children.
  • It identifies whether childcare was provided, not the number of hours or whether care was regular, occasional, or shared with formal services.

Key insight

In 2021, not providing unpaid child care was the most common response among residents aged 15 and over in Pormpuraaw (S), accounting for 47.3% (223 people). This share was lower than Regional Qld (66.2%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in not providing unpaid child care, which decreased by 128 people and 16.2 percentage points.

Section overview

Unpaid childcare

Pormpuraaw (S) - Persons aged 15+ (Usual residence)

This table summarises unpaid childcare for Pormpuraaw (S) in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Regional Qld and change since 2016.

Unpaid childcare snapshot

2021 distribution by category for Pormpuraaw (S), with comparison markers for Regional Qld.

Pormpuraaw (S)
Regional Qld

Provided Unpaid Child Care (All)

2021 count

179

% of total

38.0%

Change from 2016

+5.1pp

Cared For Own Child Ren

2021 count

41

% of total

8.7%

Change from 2016

-10.8pp

Cared For Other Child Ren

2021 count

130

% of total

27.6%

Change from 2016

+15.3pp

Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren

2021 count

4

% of total

0.8%

Change from 2016

-0.6pp

No Unpaid Child Care Provided

2021 count

223

% of total

47.3%

Change from 2016

-16.2pp

Not Stated

2021 count

76

% of total

16.1%

Change from 2016

+11.8pp

Data table

Unpaid childcare for Pormpuraaw (S). Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Regional Qld.

Unpaid childcare for Pormpuraaw (S). Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Regional Qld.
Unpaid childcare for Pormpuraaw (S). Unpaid childcare. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Regional Qld.
Category20212016Change
Count%Regional Qld%Count%Regional Qld%Countpp
Provided Unpaid Child Care (All)17938.0%25.4%18232.9%27.2%-3+5.1pp
Cared For Own Child Ren418.7%18.7%10819.5%19.6%-67-10.8pp
Cared For Other Child Ren13027.6%6.0%6812.3%6.8%+62+15.3pp
Cared For Own Child Ren And Other Child Ren40.8%0.8%81.4%0.8%-4-0.6pp
No Unpaid Child Care Provided22347.3%66.2%35163.5%62.9%-128-16.2pp
Not Stated7616.1%8.4%244.3%9.9%+52+11.8pp
Total471100.0%100.0%553100.0%100.0%-820.0pp